Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition

08/22/2026

Military Families- we want to honor you! Whether the servicemember is the one lactating, or the person who loves them is feeding their child human milk, we want to recognize how incredibly valuable and challenging that journey may be. Whether home or away, we support those who serve!

08/21/2026

August 22-24th are days to recognize lactation in the military! The Global Military Lactation Community has a great support system to serve those who serve us.
The MSBC wants to support military families through every feed, pump, and deployment. You're not alone!

🌍 World Breastfeeding Week | August 1–7

Every military family's feeding journey deserves support.

World Breastfeeding Week is a global campaign dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of breastfeeding, improving support for families, and advocating for policies that help parents meet their feeding goals.

For military families, the journey can include unique challenges:
✈️ PCS moves
🚢 Deployments and separations
📝 Training and operational commitments
💼 Returning to duty
🏥 Accessing consistent lactation support across duty stations

That's why community matters.

💚 Why Breastfeeding Matters
Breastfeeding provides benefits for both infants and parents, including:

👶 For Babies
• Supports healthy growth and development
• Provides antibodies that help protect against illness
• Adapts to a baby's changing nutritional needs
• Promotes bonding and comfort

🤱 For Parents
• Supports postpartum recovery
• May reduce the risk of certain long-term health conditions
• Encourages bonding through skin-to-skin contact and feeding
• Can be a meaningful part of the parenting journey when it aligns with a family's goals

💚 Remember...There is no one-size-fits-all feeding journey.
-Some families breastfeed exclusively.
-Some pump.
-Some combination feed.
-Some use formula.
-Some face unexpected challenges.

Every family's circumstances are different, and every family deserves evidence-based information, compassionate support, and respect.

At the Global Military Lactation Community, we're committed to ensuring military families never have to navigate that journey alone.
Together, we advocate, educate, mentor, and support military families around the world.

🌎 Supporting Every Military Feeding Journey.

08/18/2026

The U.S.’s largest health insurer will halve payment for skilled lactation care, a change the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE), the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), warn will limit new families’ access to care.

Learn more about this change beginning September 1. https://iblce.org/2026/08/06/press-release-a-3-billion-problem-cutting-lactation-care-costs-more-than-it-saves/

08/16/2026

🗓 August 15-21 is AANHPI Breastfeeding Week! Our theme for 2026 is "Better Data, Better Care for AANHPI Families".

Stay tuned to find out more about what we're planning, and join us this breastfeeding week as we explore why data equity matters, and ways we can address those gaps.

Follow us here and on Instagram 🎉

If your organization has anything planned, don't forget to tag us!


U.S. Breastfeeding Committee - USBC

08/16/2026

Learn more at https://www.mainebreastfeeds.org/about/

08/13/2026

🌟 Every parent. Every body. Every baby. 🌟

This National Breastfeeding Month, we're celebrating the many ways families nourish, connect, and care for their babies. Breastfeeding support should be inclusive, accessible, and affirming for every parent, regardless of ability, identity, or circumstance.

At the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition, we believe every family deserves compassionate, evidence-based support and the opportunity to meet their feeding goals.

Let's continue working together to create communities where all parents feel seen, supported, and empowered. 💜

08/13/2026

👀 Sneak Peek! 👀

Get ready for the 2026 MSBC Fall Conference by taking a look at just a few of the hands-on skills stations you'll experience!

✨ Featured sessions include:
🤱 Suck Assessment for Infants with Gina Van Deusen, MA, CLCC-SLP
🥛 Milk Supply Assessment & Management with Kassi Reyes, IBCLC

These interactive sessions are designed to build confidence, strengthen clinical skills, and provide practical tools you can use right away to better support breastfeeding families.

📅 September 23, 2026
📍 Augusta Civic Center | Augusta, Maine

Don't miss a full day of evidence-based education, networking, and hands-on learning!

Register today at mainebreastfeeds.org/conference

08/12/2026

👀 Conference sneak peek!

The learning continues with two more engaging skills stations you'll find at the 2026 MSBC Fall Conference:

🤲 Hand Expression Practice with Dawn Tassi, RN, BSN, CLC
🩺 Substance Use Screening with Catherine McDonald, RN, CLC, CEN

These sessions are designed to provide practical, evidence-based techniques and meaningful conversations that help improve care for breastfeeding families.

📅 September 23, 2026
📍 Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, Maine

Join colleagues from across Maine and beyond for a day of education, collaboration, and hands-on learning.

Register at mainebreastfeeds.org/conference

08/10/2026

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

MaineCare covers supports to provide low-barrier access to breastfeeding, including:
-Breast pumps and replacement parts
-Breastmilk bags
-Lactation services in a hospital or medical facility

Talk to your provider to help get connected to available resources.

📞 MaineCare members, if you want more information about what breastfeeding services MaineCare covers, or need help finding a provider, call MaineCare Member Services at 1-800-977-6740.